Remember Me – from on-line to a physical memorial
In May 2020, with external support, St Paul’s set up Remember Me, an on-line memorial to help people cope with the overwhelming sense of grief and isolation caused by the increasing number of pandemic deaths. Remember Me is for people of all faiths and none, and will be open for entries for as long as is needed.
Public reaction to Remember Me has been so positive that St Paul’s wants to give it a place at the Cathedral, so that those who it commemorates become part of the centuries of history to which St Paul’s bears witness.
Remember Me Memorial
St Paul’s is fundraising for a new inner entrance and space for contemplation in the Cathedral, in memory of those in the UK of all faiths and none who have died because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For centuries the Cathedral has provided a place of shared memory, to remember and grieve for people lost in war and tragedies.
Now in partnership with the Daily Mail, and with public support it hopes to create a new memorial that people can go through into a tranquil space, draw breath and take a moment to remember the many individuals, loved and cherished, who have died as a result of the pandemic. The memorial will be the first of its kind in St Paul’s for over 150 years and will take 12 months to build.
We are asking you to donate through this site. Whatever your donation, large or small, it will help to ensure a physical memorial is built at St Paul’s Cathedral.
We need to raise £2.3million to deliver the project, through crowdfunding and other donation sources.
Artist’s impression of Inner Portico: Copyright Caroe Architecture Ltd with Fergus Connolly
Many support the project including David Gompertz of the Yellow Hearts Facebook Group.
He said: “Our loved ones are not just a statistic, and we thank St Paul’s Cathedral for recognising this, and helping to ensure they are remembered. We feel that anything that can be done to comfort families in this difficult time is important, and that both the ‘Yellow Hearts to Remember’ and Remember Me campaign complement each other very well. The prospect of a physical memorial at St Paul’s Cathedral is something much looked forward to by many members of the ‘Yellow Hearts to Remember’ community. There will be a day when, irrespective of belief or background, we can come together, united by loss, and celebrate the lives of those who are deeply loved and who were taken too soon by COVID-19.”
Adding a memorial to Remember Me
As the death toll continues to rise from the pandemic St Paul’s wants to encourage people to honour their loved ones by writing a tribute on the site. Every individual who has died is valued and worthy of remembrance.
You can freely access Remember Me by going to www.RememberMe2020.uk
Making a donation
If you would like to donate and are eligible please don’t forget to gift aid your donation.
In support of Remember Me, and as a thank you for your support, the Daily Mail are providing 5,000 limited edition Remember Me candles in return for pledges. Click on the £25 candle reward on the right hand side of this page to get your candle:
If you are able to donate £50 to us today we would like to gift you with one free year of Friends of St Paul’s membership as a thank you. Our Friends enjoy free access to the Cathedral, a 10% discount in the shop, and a quarterly newsletter as well invitations to exclusive Friends events and offers.